


Sizzle, Pop, Hiss

by dragonydreams



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: Captain Canary Secret Santa 2019, F/M, Fluff, Jewish Leonard Snart, secret santa gift
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-24
Updated: 2019-12-24
Packaged: 2021-02-24 15:27:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21940174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragonydreams/pseuds/dragonydreams
Summary: Leonard teaches Sara how to make latkes for Hanukkah.
Relationships: Sara Lance/Leonard Snart
Comments: 11
Kudos: 22





	Sizzle, Pop, Hiss

**Author's Note:**

  * For [BronzeCanary](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BronzeCanary/gifts).



> Disclaimer: I claim no ownership over these characters. I am merely borrowing them from Berlanti Productions, DC Entertainment, and Warner Bros. Television.
> 
> Betas: Thank you to angelskuuipo and shanachie for looking this over for me.
> 
> Author's Note: This is my @captaincanarysecretsanta gift for @bronzecanary. I hope you like it. Sorry that the rating stayed tame.

Sara entered Leonard's kitchen as she pulled her hair back into a ponytail, saying, "All right, put me to work." 

Leonard glanced up at her from where he was laying out all of the ingredients and smirked at her _Kiss the Cook_ apron. He picked up the long sleeved shirt hanging from the back of a bar stool - one that matched the one he was wearing - and handed it to her. 

"As much as I admire the sentiment on your apron, I think you should wear this instead," he said, handing it to her. 

Her brow crinkling, Sara asked, "Why?" even as she removed her apron and put on the old work shirt. 

"Making latkes is messy business. You do not want your skin exposed when dealing with hot oil," Leonard warned. 

"Oh, right. I guess that makes sense," Sara said. "Now, what can I do?" 

Leonard handed her a large knife while he grabbed a potato peeler for himself and then set a bag of potatoes and a large empty bowl between them. 

"I'll peel, and then you cut the potatoes into one inch cubes," he said, getting to work. 

"Why are we starting this so early?" Sara asked. "We're not expected at S.T.A.R. Labs until 8pm and it's barely after 10am." 

"Because it takes a long time to fry up all of the latkes and we'll want to rest and shower before the party." 

"How come Martin isn't bringing the latkes?" 

"Because while we both know how to make latkes, I cannot make a decent brisket to save my life and Clarissa makes an excellent one. Plus, Lisa volunteered to make donuts." 

"I'm looking forward to Joe's Grandma Esther's Eggnog," Sara said, licking her lips in anticipation. 

"As is Mick," Leonard commented. 

"Do we think that he and Ray will successfully be able to fry a turkey?" Sara asked. 

"Perhaps on the second try," Leonard said, smirking. 

"Brisket and a turkey," Sara muttered, "it's a good thing that there's a lot of us with two main courses." 

"Plus all the various sides that the others will be bringing," Leonard added. 

"Then cookies and donuts for dessert," Sara said. "I'm getting hungry already. It's too bad that Team Arrow couldn't come out. It would have been nice to see my sister." 

"Big Bads don't take a break just because it's the holidays," Leonard reminded her. "I should know." 

"I thought you stopped Trickster from ruining Christmas," Sara said. 

"I didn't say that I was the Big Bad in that scenario," Leonard pointed out. 

With all of the potatoes peeled now, Leonard got up to turn on the two burners on the stove that the large griddle covered and then poured vegetable oil into the pan until the bottom was well coated. Then he began to add some of the potatoes, a couple of eggs, a small onion, salt, flour, and baking powder to the food processor. He turned it on and once things were blended, he began slowly adding the rest of the potatoes. 

By the time all of the potatoes had been processed, the oil was bubbling. Leonard removed the processor from its base and brought it over to the stove. He grabbed the ladle he'd set out earlier and began ladling the potato mixture into the oil. 

The oil popped, hissed, and spit, causing Sara to jump back from where she'd been leaning over the griddle. 

"A little warning next time," she griped. 

"I did warn you that this got messy," Leonard drawled. 

"How do you know when to flip them?" Sara asked, grabbing the spatula. 

"When the edges start turning brown," Leonard said. "You good for flipping duty?" 

"I am an expert pancake flipper," Sara claimed. 

Leonard simply nodded and began clearing off the counter before laying out paper towels on baking sheets. 

"What's that for?" Sara asked. 

"For when we remove the latkes from the oil," Leonard said. "The paper towels will help soak up some of the grease." 

"Isn't the grease the whole point?" 

"The oil is the point," Leonard said. "If we just stacked them on top of each other, the lower layers would get all soggy with all of the grease that would soak into them." 

Sara began to slip the spatula under one of the latkes and, while Leonard could see that it wasn't ready, he was going to let Sara discover this for herself. Sure enough, when the spatula was only a third of the way under the pancake, it began to fall apart. 

"No!" Sara wailed, trying to push it back together. 

She turned wide eyes to Leonard. "I thought it was ready." 

"Happens in the first batch for everyone - especially a novice," he assured her. "We'll still flip it, even if it's in pieces, and just eat it ourselves." 

"Why is it taking so long?" Sara pouted. 

"Because it does," Leonard answered. When it looked like Sara was going to object to his answer, he held up a finger. "If you want a more scientific answer, go ask Stein or Raymond." 

"Yeah, no, I'm good with your answer," Sara quickly said. 

Leonard came up behind her and, using his own spatula, smoothly turned over a latke. "They're ready," he said against her ear. 

Sara shivered, despite the heat coming from the stove, and mirrored the way that Leonard had flipped his latke. She turned, grinning at him when it didn't fall apart. Leonard gave her a quick kiss before they both focused on turning the rest of them. 

When they were fully cooked, Leonard transferred them to the paper towels while Sara worked on removing her broken latke from the griddle, blowing on the pieces and popping them into her mouth. 

With her mouth full, she mumbled, "So hot, but soooo good." 

"That what she said," Leonard teased. 

"And _she_ would be right," Sara said, winking at him as she slipped the last piece into her mouth. 

They poured more "batter" into the pan and began the waiting game again. Leonard started to put things away while Sara watched the sizzling potato pancakes. 

"You don't want to wait until we're done to clean up?" Sara asked. 

Leonard shrugged. "Might as well do it while we have the time now." When he was done, he peeked over Sara's shoulder and said, "They look ready to me." 

Sara tentatively slipped her spatula under one of the latkes and flipped it over in one piece. She turned to beam at him. 

"How'd you know?" 

"A couple of decades of doing this," he answered.

Sara turned the rest over, then set the spatula down and turned to face Leonard, slipping her arms around his neck. 

"Couple of decades, huh?" 

Leonard wrapped his arms around her back. "I started out watching my mom and Nana make them when I was a kid. After Mom died, I was old enough to help Nana out. After she passed, I was the only one left to make them for Lisa." 

"Your dad didn't help?" Sara asked. 

Leonard just looked at her with a raised eyebrow. 

"Right. Stupid question." 

"Every Hanukkah Lisa would beg me to make latkes and Mick, once he came into the picture, loved anything fried, so I've made them every year that I wasn't in Iron Heights." 

"Lisa never learned how to make them herself?" 

"Oh, she can do it, but she inevitably pouts and says that they taste better when I do it," Leonard said. 

"She just doesn't want to clean up the mess," Sara guessed. 

"Now you're learning," Leonard said. "She claims that making donuts is less messy." 

"Is it?" 

"No, but it's definitely sweeter." 

Sara rose up on her toes to kiss Leonard. "I think this is pretty sweet." 

"I am _not_ sweet," Leonard growled, grabbing Sara's hips and lifting her to sit on the now-clean counter. She squealed in surprise and delight, wrapping her legs around his waist as she pulled him close and kissed him. 

Leonard indulged in the kiss for a minute before pushing away. "Hold that thought," he said, turning back to the stove and transferring the latkes to paper towels before adding more oil and then pouring more of the potato mixture into the pan once it had a little time to heat up. 

Sara watched him work, admiring the confident way he moved around the kitchen. She never would have believed that he could be so domestic and traditional when they'd first met. 

She also wouldn't have guessed that he was Jewish. Ever since they'd gotten together, she'd enjoyed learning more about his traditions, just as she'd been teaching him about hers - the few that she maintained, at least. 

"What's that look for?" Leonard asked as he stepped between her legs again. 

"Just marveling at how we came to be here," she said, sitting up and sliding her hands up his chest to his shoulders. 

"In the kitchen?" he asked to lighten the mood. 

"Yes," Sara somberly agreed. "In the kitchen." 

"You know," Leonard said, pressing closer to Sara, "We don't have to go to this party." He bent his head to kiss her neck. 

Sara angled her head to give him better access. "Mmm, as tempting as that is, I want Grandma Esther's Eggnog, and that's not gonna happen here." 

Leonard sighed and pulled back. "If you insist." He kissed the tip of her nose before he turned back to the stove and flipped the latkes. Sara slid off the counter to help him. 

"It's nice that Hanukkah overlaps Christmas this year," Sara said. "Makes celebrating both holidays all together make more sense." 

"And your birthday," Leonard reminded her. 

"That's not really something that we need to celebrate," Sara objected. 

"Of course it is," Leonard argued. "Your birth is definitely to be celebrated, even if it's just privately." 

"What do you have planned?" Sara asked, eyes narrowed. 

"You'll just have to wait to find out," Leonard said, "but here's a preview." 

He backed her against the counter and kissed her thoroughly. 

"Now that's a plan I can get behind." Sara sighed when Leonard pulled back to remove the last batch of latkes from the oil and turn off the burners. 

"Are we done?" she asked. 

"For now," Leonard said. "We'll let the oil cool down before disposing of it and then clean off all of the oil that splattered over the counter and stove top." 

Sara peeled off the long sleeved shirt, noticing all the dots of oil covering it and was grateful that Leonard had insisted she wear it. 

"Want to watch a movie until it's time to get ready for the party?" she proposed. 

"You go pick one out," Leonard suggested as he removed his own oil-splattered shirt, revealing the thermal shirt he wore underneath. He took both shirts to his bedroom and tossed them in the laundry basket before joining Sara on the couch. 

She immediately stretched her legs out over his lap and hit play on _Home Alone_. 

"Thanks for letting me help out today," she said. "It meant a lot to me to share in something good from your childhood." 

Leonard met her eyes and sincerely told her, "It meant a lot to me, too." 

"Happy Hanukkah, Leonard." 

"Merry Christmas, Sara." 

The End

**Author's Note:**

> I know there are many ways to spell the holiday name and many ways to make latkes. I used a combination of my mother's recipe and my step-mother's use of a large griddle over two burners in this story.


End file.
